The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-06-17
"FRENCHY."
A Little Drama from Life in Min
ing Camp.

1t was Sunday afternoon in Galena
canyon. The day, while the occupa-
lions of the rest of the week went on
very much as usual, wore little differ
ent look from other days. Trade was,
If any thing, rather more active; there
was more going and coming, more
loungers clustered about the saloons.
A certain slicked-up appearance was
noticed, for however careless men may
otherwise be of the first day of the
week, they seldom fail to respect that
part of its observance which forms
their earliest recollections of 1.-THE
being obliged to wear their best clothes.
Among group of miners, in front
of the main saloon, stood o man of
perhaps five and twenty years, deviat-
ing entirely from the prevailing type
'Coarsely dressed he was, Us were the
Others, but his checked wooden shirt,
worn without suspenders, seemed,
though not over-clean, to have a GER
tain look about it neither slouchy nor
shapelcss, as were the garments of the
rest. A little above the average height,
symmetrical of form, with short,
glistening black hair and smooth face,
he was a marked figure in this compa-
ny of adventurers, among which might
be seen representatives from a dozen
American States and half as many
from the States of Europe.
g Al.
alleged discovery of rich gold deposits
in Dutch Guiana. The canyon was
poor The mines, mostly those of low
ores, were irregularly worked or idle
altogether. The miners, many of them
in debt and tired of prospecting any
longer in what they called a played
out country, ready to leave for Fonzer
river, Dutch Guiana, or any where
else providing they could obtain the
means of getting there.
The most interested member of the
group was the man already spoken of,
who was known as Frenchy. Several
months before, while passing a smelt-
ing furnace at the mouth of the can
yon, heard some one therein whist
ling the drinking song from La Tray
iata, which sounded very strangely to
my ears in those parts. Soon after,
while exploring narrow and rugged
gulch opening into the main canyon,
came upon miners cabin, the occu-
pant of which was driving a tunnel
into the side of the mountain few
rods away. Upon my appearance he
stopped work and invited me into his
cabin, himself taking pail and going
to a spring near by for water where
with to prepare dinner. During his
absence, while Watching the fireplace
light up with the newly-made flames,
4 had fallen to humming the air II
Balen in Trovatore, when looking
round l beheld my entertainer silently
regarding me in the doorway
Can you sing ftp" he asked.
"Oh, no." Ireplied. Il can not sing
any thing"
Thereupon, setting down his pail,
he himself sang the air. in a rich barri
tone voice, with fine effect. Then was
certain who it was that had whistleC
Vcrde's music in the shelter This wa.
my first meeting with Frenchy.
He was the son of a Roman noble, OF
liberal politics, who had lost botl
property and life by the insurrectior
of 1S4S. Thrown upon the world
while child, he had served in both
tho Italian and Spanish navies and
with the French army in Mexico, from
which he had drifted to California, and
from thence to the mines of the in.
terror. He constantly gave evidence
of former refined associations; pos
seSsed all the emotional susceptibility
of his race, and was withal one of the
most handsome men l have ever seen.
About this time there came into the
canyon and began working an aban.
boned placer gold mine, Portuguese
who dwelt with his family in loo
cabin hard by. The family, beside
himself, consisted of a wife and several
children, the oldest of which was q
daughter of seventeen or eighteen
years. This girl, though ignorant Of
social refinement, possessed a natural
grace and real beauty of person, Sc
that the male portion of Galena Canyon,
accustomed only to China women and
harridans of the mining camp, were
soon, all, more or less, enamored OF
the pretty Portuguese.
This, for the most part, went no
farther than a smile or compliment
given the young woman in gratitude
for the warming of hearts long stag
nant, as they passed her going to and
fro from her fathers work, or assisting
her mother outside their cabin door.
There were several, however, among